U.S. Pat. No. 3,939,959 describes an accelerating and retarding travelling walkway with step plates which overlap the longitudinal direction and are displaceable relative to one another and which are held at one end on roller-guided carriers. The carriers are connected amongst one another by articulation levers and chains, wherein slide-guided rollers at the articulation levers produce a variable spacing between the carriers in correspondence with the instantaneous slide geometry.
In a further developed form of the aforesaid solution the step plates have, in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,976, grooved surfaces. The grooves produce a surface which is as free of interruption as possible by the inter-engaging of two adjacent step plates.
European Patent 0 225 213 discloses a solution with carriers which are telescopically variable in width. The carriers are connected amongst one another by way of a flexible element and an articulation lever pair. Lateral guides determine the length and the width of the carriers and thus the spacings therebetween. Carriers drawn out of one another produce a small spacing, and carriers pushed together create a large spacing.
In the case of all mentioned solutions relatively heavy and solid carriers are used, by means of which the loads of persons standing thereon are supported by way of rollers on outlying guide rails. The variations in the spacings between the carriers are produced by means of separate articulation levers with rollers and additional guide rails controlling these. Thus, two separate mechanical devices are needed for load support and for variation of the spacings between the carriers, which means a corresponding outlay of material and costs.